Technology

Record Earnings Numbers From Apple: Are They Enough to Keep Pushing the Stock Higher?

Chris Lange

Published: January 27, 2021 5:01 pm

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) released its most recent quarterly results after markets closed Wednesday. The iPhone giant reported record numbers of $1.68 in earnings per share (EPS) and $111.4 billion in revenue for the quarter. This compares with consensus estimates that called for $1.41 in EPS and $103.28 billion in revenue. The fiscal first quarter from last year had $1.25 in EPS and $88.5 billion in revenue.

This quarter’s performance was driven by double-digit growth in each product category, which drove all-time revenue records in each of Apple’s geographic segments and an all-time high for the installed base of active devices

Apple’s board of directors declared a cash dividend of $0.205 per share of common stock. The dividend is payable on February 1, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 8.

For the quarter, the firm reported its product sales as follows:

• iPhone pulled in revenues of $65.60 billion, an increase of 17.2% year over year.
• Mac revenues increased by 21.1% to $8.68 billion.
• iPad revenues increased 41.1% to $8.44 billion.
• Wearables, Home and Accessories revenues increased by 29.6% to $12.97 billion.
• Services revenues increased by 24.0% to $15.76 billion.

On the books, Apple’s cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $76.8 billion at the end of the quarter, versus $90.9 billion at the end of the previous fiscal year.

The company did not give guidance for the quarter noting the lack of visibility and uncertainty in the short term. The consensus estimates call for $0.91 in EPS on $74.54 billion in revenue for the fiscal second quarter.

Shares of Apple closed Wednesday at $142.06, in a 52-week range of $53.15 to $145.09. The consensus price target is $136.09. Following the announcement, the stock was initially down about 1% at $140.62 in the after-hours session.